


Stolen Time

by rin0rourke



Series: Outlines and Ideas [6]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Brainstorm, M/M, Time Travel Fix-It, discount fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2019-09-28 20:25:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17189813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rin0rourke/pseuds/rin0rourke
Summary: A run in with Saruman on his way to visit Ori an Moria, Nori is cursed to relive the worst period of his life, the quest for Erebor. Over and Over, Nori runs himself into the ground constantly trying to change their fates.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not a full fic, just another brainstorm. This time featuring Nori. I love Nori, and Nori/Bilbo are my top Brotp, thick as thieves.

Basically, at a crochety old age during the War of the Ring Nori pisses off Saruman (literally pisses. He's taking a leak, drunk, on his way to Moria to visit Ori. Not his fault the old wizard was walking under the cliff) Cursed to relive the worst point in his life.

The quest for Erebor

The fic starts after his 5th "respawn"

 Sometimes he gets to the Rock Giants.

Mostly he dies at the trolls, or after with the wargs.

Nori realizes how often they survived by sheer dumb fucking luck.

The one thing he always does, every respawn, is convince Bilbo to just... stay home. Just sit this one out. He arrives first, before Dwalin, and has a very nice talk with Bilbo, who is a lovely host with 2 hours forewarning (if a little rushed) and makes them sandwiches to take on their journey.

But Nori is so tired, he's just so very strung out. He just... he can't do this on his own. He can’t.

He's trying to walk back through the days, plan everything out, make sure they're never too far ahead or behind but also not ending up killed by trolls or orcs or goblins. It's not like he can write notes, nothing travels back with him when he dies. And oh god does he die. A lot. It’s a good trip when he's the first to die. That first time, when he figured out Fili and Kili were behind Bilbo going into the troll den? Not a good experience.

He thought Bilbo was the reason the Trolls got involved with them, like everyone else he just assumed Bilbo snuck into the troll camp on his own instead of warning them, and got caught. He didn't realize without Bilbo the boys would just... go after the ponies themselves.

It was not a nice discovery.

He was almost happy when the warg ripped his throat out the next day.

That's when he found that if he died it all reset. If someone else did though... they continued on.

When Ori and Bombur died in the Thunder Battle though, he didn't wait to be killed. Just… jumped after them. He wasn't going to do this without anyone. If he lost a member of the company, he was starting over. Even if he had to reset it himself.

This time though, this time he admitted it. He needed help. Nori can't micromanage every day for 6 months, and any changes he makes seemed to only make things worse. He just watched his baby brother fall to his doom. He couldn't do this alone. But there was only one person he knew who was smart enough, resourceful enough, and trustworthy enough to help him.

This time, when he talked to Bilbo, it was going to be a different conversation.

He wakes up, hungover, with Dory stomping into his room and throwing his pants at him. Telling him the King wants to see him.

The first time he never noticed, it honestly wasn't that different from how his life was as an old dwarf. Drunk and miserable and trying to forget. Dwalin took the boy's deaths hard, harder maybe than if it had just been Thorin, losing all three had ruined him. He'd become withdrawn, hard and cold, and their budding romance had withered.

It was easy for everyone else to move on, everyone else had a job, a purpose, only Thorin had ever seen any use for a thief and a liar. Dain had certainly made his regard for Nori clear almost immediately. He was a hero of Erebor, and entitled to 1/14th share, but his skills were neither wanted nor needed. It was heavily implied that Nori should take his share back to the Blue Mountains. Only his blood ties to Dori and Ori really kept that opinion from being made more openly.

And Dwalin, captain of the guard, hero of Erebor, love of his life, when he'd found Nori doing some vigilant spy work on some nobles intent on causing trouble in the newly restored kingdom, he hadn't even tried hearing him out.

Clapped him in Irons.

That was the worst year he'd ever spent in jail.

So when Dori burst in saying the King wanted to see him all he could think was what he had done to get Dain's iron panties in a bunch.

He'd staggered out of his room to see Thorin, alive and whole and sitting on one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs Dori had nailed together for his customers, and Dwalin, young and grouchy but somehow more... alive in his anger.

Now, on his 5th respawn, he takes a bit more time to rub his hands over his face and THINK, because as soon as he meets Thorin he must get ready to leave. To ride and meet Bilbo, because convincing him to stay was easy, to host them was a little bit of a chore, but to join? And to be fully prepped and outfitted with supplies as well? That would… probably take longer.

So he gets dressed and goes out to face Thorin alive and commanding and every inch the ridiculously arrogant royal he always was, and Nori wanted to enjoy seeing him as much as he wanted to knock him on his ass.

Thorin of course is right to business. He's reclaiming Erebor and yada yada yada; he's rallying his people, but he needs a particular skill set. Gandalf, the wizard supporting this venture, thinks they need a burglar, and one who the Dragon can't sniff out and recognize. Thorin has little faith in this... halfling.

He is not going to put the fate of his people in the hands of some farmer.

Nori can barely stop himself from snorting, because Thorin's gonna put something a little more personal than fate in Bilbo's hand. No one in the company believed for one second they were ever just "going for a walk" after setting up camp.

Once their gone he tells his brothers he needs to prepare. He takes down his braids, dresses casually, packs his gear, and sets out for the shire. Just out of Hobbiton he bathes in a stream, does his best to look presentable, then rides up to Bilbo's house.

"Tea is at 4" has always been his only hint to where Bilbo's will be. At 4 every previous visit, though they were on different days, Bilbo had been enjoying a nice afternoon meal, and then a smoke on his bench.

Nori greets him politely, convincing Bilbo of their ties by lying and saying he knew his mother. Saying he saved Belladonna on one of her adventures and she promised she'd help him if he needs it. He tells Bilbo about his brothers, offering Bilbo some of Dori's favorite tea, bragging about Ori but also how Ori doesn't have the time or funds to be a scribe and does odd jobs for others. Explaining the hardships of Ered Luin. How they lost their home, and they're taking it back. How nothing grows there though, so he needs a hobbit to help with the plants.

It takes some doing, but Bilbo's heart can never allow others to endure suffering. Of course he'd be happy to help, and he'll host everyone when they visit to collect him, and he'll get all the supplies Nori writes down for him on a list.

Nori stays with him to get everything ready, he realizes that the others probably won't believe his note that he'll meet them at their Burglar's home, they probably think he ran. He writes a message a few days before he knows they would leave, let's his brothers know he made it to their Burglar's house. (And he finds the hobbit wonderful company, make of that what you will)

Nori has made sure Bilbo has everything he needs for months of travel, Bilbo has made sure their company is fully outfitted with quality food and warm bedrolls and lots of good pipe weed, because what Nori smokes is utter shite he cannot allow his travel companions to endure such pipe weed and call himself a gentlehobbit.

Then Gandalf shows up, Nori is doing final checks on Bilbo's packs and overhears the argument. Bilbo CAN'T go on an adventure. He is going to be out of touch for some time, he has a previous engagement and he simply cannot go back on his word.

Nor is just... laughing silently. They are arguing, over the same thing.

He mumbles to himself. "I can't go to Erebor Gandalf, don't you know I'm already going to Erebor? I simply can't go to Erebor TWICE. My goodness." He giggles, but doesn't say anything when Bilbo storms in, grumbling about pushy Wizards.

Bilbo is busying himself setting up a nice banquet outside in the garden, the Gamgees are helping to get everything set up for his guests, but declined joining (imagine, dining with dwarves!)

As they sit and wait Nori and Bilbo discuss their other members over a lovely cheese spread. Nori lists off people he believes (knows) would join. Bofur and Bifur of course, loyal dwarves and excellent miners, and Bombur would never let his family go off on travel underfed so he'll come too. Bilbo believes that Bombur has his priorities in perfect line.

Bilbo naturally packed lots of seasonings with the preserved meats for well rounded Meals.

Something Nori had never thought, but agreed that a nice seasoned soup would make certain days much better.

Nori goes on and on about his brothers, which Bilbo encourages and is very eager to meet, and insists that Thorin would be hard pressed to take 2 steps out of the mountain without Dwalin and Balin, the latter would be more to Bilbo's taste in friendship than the former. Though Bilbo gets a little twist in his lips as Nori describes Dwalin's temperament and manner that tells Nori he should really shut up if he doesn't want Bilbo to start teasing him about his "crush".

Then, as twilight sets in, there is a knock on the door and Bilbo breathes in deep. It all starts here.

Nori insists on answering the door, from previous times he knows Bilbo does not do well with the culture mesh of weapons/manners/boots of the dwarrow vs hobbit customs. So Nori answers while Bilbo begins lighting the lamps around the garden. Dwalin is there, all big and looming and so very wonderful. He looks so surprised to see Nori there, then irritated, and Nori knows the only reason Dwalin is mad is because the big oaf is pleased to see him and pissed about it. It so wonderful, so very wonderful to see that slow simmering irritation instead of the hard hold stone one he had become used to over the years since the death of Durin's line.

Nori grins, and Dwalin's scowl deepens, and Nori's heart just about bursts.

He instructs, with a self-important air, that the meal will be around back, if guests wish to enter the house they must remove their shoes and weapons, placing them in the appropriate cubbies in the mud room. Guests may enter the kitchen near the mudroom with shoes on, but no further. Then Nori slips his feet it the cute mannish slippers he ordered from Bree and told Dwalin, still scowling, to follow him around back.

The interaction was not so different than others, excepting that Bilbo had more than 2 hours to prepare, and Nori loves the soft slippers.

He introduced Dwalin with a flourish, unknown to Bilbo he was copying the announcements made when one went to petition the king. Dwalin looked thunderous, but Bilbo only giggled and copied Dwalin's bow.

Nori then grabbed Dwalin's arm and drug him up the patio steps to deposit his coat and weapons. He managed a good two steps before Dwalin yanked his arm back and marched ahead. Which was perfectly fine. Nori enjoyed the view better this way.

Just as Bilbo had gotten Dwalin situated with a plate and quick tour of the buffet (an ingenious hobbit invention, buffets) the bell sounded again. Nori winked at Bilbo, took off his slippers, and padded inside. It was an interesting ritual, slipping in and out of his shoes, but he had gotten used to it in the week since he bought them.

Balin was much happier to see him and gave him a nice clap on the shoulder in greeting. Nori repeated his instructions, round the back, shoes and weapons in the cubbies, as he led Balin to their meal. He introduced Balin with just as much flare, getting sharp looks from the brothers both and only a delighted laugh from Bilbo. Nori didn't care about the dwarvish cultural gaff he was making, he would keep it up all night to ease Bilbo's nerves and keep that laugh flowing.

They had some time before the boys arrived, and Nori took it to enjoy watching Balin draw Bilbo into conversation. He knew what the dwarves saw, this sweet round peach of a person flushed with delight, the lavish meal, the lovely view of the gentle hills in the twilight. This was a soft person from a soft land, Nori agreed, but it was equally jarring to see such softness every time. His image of Bilbo through the years had always been those final months, from Beorn’s onwards, the lean well-traveled look of the forest, the haggard lines in his face from the Elvish halls, the waxy pallor of illness in Laketown. The drawn, tired, grieving hobbit that had hugged him tight before leaving Erebor forever.

When he had first seen Bilbo those 5 lifetimes ago he had hardly recognized him, the pink round hobbit sitting so contently on his bench smoking had not been the hobbit of his memories.

It had only reminded him of what they had stolen from their friend, at that time it had solidified his intent to convince Bilbo to stay, now it hardened his resolve to protect.

Even if he was protecting Bilbo from his own people's lack of manners.

Speaking of, there came the boys.

Nori swung open the door dramatically, grinning when the boys’ face blanked in confusion, unable to do their practiced greeting. They were not so familiar with Nori as the others and were momentarily lost at what to say. “Hello boys,” Nori greeted, and informed them of the trip round the back plus where to deposit their weapons, but knew he wouldn't have the time to announce them and get back before the others crowded the door, he could see Bombur starting up the hill from the doorway, and so simply closed the door and asked them to wait.

Fili and Kili muttered to themselves as Nori shooed them to the bench and stood, leaning against the gate, with a wide grin on his face. He could tell the instant his brother saw him, recognizing him even with his hair down and in nothing but tunic and trousers.

His casual clothing was a pretty big reason the other 4 had been so off kilter seeing him, but Bilbo's home was safe and warm, and Nori wouldn't insult his delicate hobbit sensibilities by walking around in armor and knives. Besides, he had come to enjoy the light casual clothing in his weeks here.

Dori was red faced and puffing by the time he'd surged ahead of the group to meet Nori at the gate with a scowl, going on about disappearing as soon as Thorin trusts him with a task and not telling anyone where he went, just a note on the table and a raven 10 days later.

Nori lets him vent his worries and frustrations, then shrugs, all unconcerned infuriatingly relaxed, and simply explains that Thorin has reservations about the hobbit, so he did some investigating.

Gandalf, the talking bundle of gray blankets and pointy hat, demands to know what Thorin finds unsuitable about his choice in burglar.

Nori slumps down on his arms, crossed over the fence gate, and placates Gandalf with the middle earth equivalent of ‘chill’. "I have found your burglar to be charming and clever, and completely suitable for his task."

And, he doesn't mention, anything else thrown his way.

Then he pushes up off the gate and opens it, admitting everyone inside. Informing them all of the shoes and swords rule. He tells everyone to follow him around back, he'll announce them in family groups.

The others take Nori's announcements more seriously than Balin and Dwalin, possibly because they have only ever been on the side of being announced, but Fili and Kili really should have known that he was being disrespectful.

Bilbo, who had been deeply engrossed in a discussion with Balin over the cheese trays, insisting that Blue Cheese was in fact supposed to be blue, rose to greet each dwarf as they were introduced.

Dwalin and Balin looked particularly scandalized when Nori announced the Princes to Bilbo, but Nori was just utterly delighted, and the boys remembered their courtly manners to treat Bilbo respectfully, much as when they visited Dain in his halls.

He saved his own brothers for last, as the others all trooped into the mud room to unload their weapons and coats, he looped his arm through Bilbo's and steered him towards the back of the line. “And these two lovely dwarrow or my own blood, Master Bagging, may I introduce you to my older brother Dori, and my little brother Ori.”

This was perhaps the most scandalous introduction to ever be made by a dwarf, but it was perfectly in line with Hobbit customs and Bilbo easily spoke his how do you dos. Dori, however, was humiliated at the lack of formality. He and Ori made their bows and their "at your services" and Nori was having the time. Of. His. Life.

He would probably be dead in the next month and start the whole thing all over, lasting impressions were not his priority.

Nori is an absolute shit.

He just needed a break, from the stress and drama, he needed a nice long bath and good food and a friendly ear. Bilbo was all of that, and he wasn't going to have anyone in the company shunning him based of first impressions.

Unknown exactly how sheltered he was from the cultural landslide of dwarves he was almost subjected to, Bilbo was quick to encourage Dori and Ori to make themselves at home and drew them both away, leaving only Nori and Gandalf, who Bilbo dismissed with a sniff.

They had discussed earlier Gandalf's visit, and Bilbo had not been pleased to discover the wizard intending to spring this all on him that morning. Nori had given him a fortnight, and he still didn't feel ready.

“Well,” Gandalf says as he heads over to take a seat at the table beside Balin, Nori right at his heels, "it does seem we are missing our leader."

Dwalin then informs them that he went to attend a meeting with their kin and would be held up some time.

"Speaking of missing members", Balin turns to Nori, who is lounging in his seat enjoying the roast potatoes with garlic and chive butter Bilbo had spoiled him with. He would insist on potatoes when they reclaimed Erebor, if they ever reclaimed Erebor. "Where have you been these past two weeks, Nori."

Nori shrugs. "Here and there," he says, cutting into his fish, "making preparations."

"Preparations." Dwalin growls.

"Yes," and here Nori's grin is slow and sly, "burglars needs preparing. They can't simply be sprung upon in the wee hours of the day now can they?" Here Gandalf begins coughing, but Balin and Dwalin miss the jab, thinking he was referring to their visit with Thorin two weeks back.

They let the subject drop as the others begin sitting with their meals.

Bilbo has moved his conversation from Dori and Ori to include Oin and Gloin. They are, the 4 of them, arguing about how long one must steep willow bark tea and the benefits of sweetening it with honey or drinking it as is.

Gloin, surprisingly, counters Oin and sides with Bilbo over Oin and Dori, insisting that his Gimli would not be subjected to willow bark tea plain if there were options to sweeten it. Dori sees it as an unnecessary luxury, and Oin insists that if one is in pain enough for the tea one should not complain about the taste.

Ori has taken to his meal happily, letting his brother's distraction divert attention from the fact his plate is lacking anything of clear nutrition, though still too young to avoid any of the smoked sausages (as they would be bringing those with them and would all be sick of it soon) he had happily applied himself to every bit of meat and dessert available.

Nori, not one to pass up the opportunity to ruin anyone's good time, and perhaps also because even if this is a temporary event he can't let Ori go without something of a balanced diet, dumps the remainder of his potatoes onto his plate as he goes to get a new dish.

Ori's "HEY!" Gets Dori's attention.

Nori just winks and says, "you need vegetables, baby brother."

Dori inspects Ori's plate, seeing the helpings of meat and desserts. This diverts the discussion from teas to nutrition, and the combined weight of all 4 parental figures within their happy troupe falls upon poor Ori.

There could be no greater champions of Bilbo, Nori thinks, than Dori, Gloin, and Oin.

Bilbo would win Balin over in his own time, and Dwalin soon after the trolls. Though hopefully not by saving him from being eaten. But that first month with only Gandalf as company would not, if Nori could help it, be repeating itself.

Seeing the princes quickly tucking their own plates closer he raised his brows at them and set a nice plate of glazed carrots between them.

Then he settled back in between Bilbo and Dwalin and enjoyed his own meal while chaos reigned around him, sweet Bilbo far too engrossed in his company to be more than momentarily distracted when Bofur began throwing cheeses, grapes, sausages, and boiled eggs across the table from the cheese platter into Bombur's mouth.

In the dining room Bilbo might have raised a fuss, but out on the patio he merely gave an annoyed pickled purse of his lips at the blatant disregard of good food, before being drawn back into budgets and book keeping with Gloin.

As the meal wound down plates began disappearing from the table and buffet without Bilbo even noticing, still holding court, this time engaging Balin in a lively debate over diffusing feuding parties; though Balin spoke of guilds out for blood and Bilbo of blood out to cause a headache. How quickly Bilbo had endeared himself over dinner conversation Nori could only marvel at. But Balin and the others were listening to him intently, as if he were speaking of tried and true battle tactics and not how to ensure the heads of 4 feuding clans all had equally favorable seating at a birthday party that was close enough to not seem as if the host didn't trust them to be civil, but far enough to not invite trouble. And to know which families to place between them, for a Bracegirdle could sit with a Baggins but NEVER with a Brandybuck, and a Proudfoot could not be between a Chub and a Took.

It is as Nori is bringing in another stack of dishes that he hears the knock. Shit, Nori realizes only now as his arms are full of dishes that their legendary king has arrived. If Bilbo answered, Thorin was for sure going to open his big stupid royal mouth. He quickly shoves the stack into Ori’s arms, just about buries his poor baby brother in crockery, and sprints.

Good thing Bilbo is all the way on the patio, he’s there by the third knock, except the boys get there first. Fili and Kili slide down the hallway in their socks, absolutely sloshed on Hobbit ale, and throw the door open wide for their uncle. Nori just barely catches Kili before he tips open onto his backside from the unexpected weight (or lack thereof) of the wooden door, as they are used to opening the big heavy monstrosities used in Ered Luin.

Hobbit homes are not built to withstand sieges boys, they are built for small soft people who don't want to waste perfectly good gardening energy on opening their own front door.

So there Nori is, Kili hanging off him, giggling, unable to get traction in his socks to stand back up, Fili barely standing from the mirth at his brother's difficulty, and the king who has been left waiting outside for 3 turns knocking and already lost twice.

And Bilbo, sweet Bilbo, rounding the corner from the kitchen to see who's arrived.

Well, Nori thinks, there are worse first impressions. If it goes too badly he could always just kill himself and start over. Surprisingly though Bilbo makes the first move.

Bilbo, in full host mode at this point, greets Thorin like a skilled diplomat. “Oh, welcome, I'm so glad you made it before the rain. We were just breaking down the buffet, but we saved some of the dishes for you. I'll get it from the oven, if you'll follow me please.”

Thorin, looking from his drunk nephews to the casually dressed and braidless Nori to Bilbo's retreating back, is a little speechless. Only as Gandalf ducks into the entryway does he snap back. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find" and so on and so forth.

Nori is just glad Bilbo is out of earshot for the bit about the mark.

As Thorin makes his way back to where Bilbo disappeared Kili regains his faculties enough to latch on and shout "NO! UNCLE!" startling them all half to death. Thorin has one hand on his blade, looking for enemies, when Kili realizes they can't just read his damn ale-soaked mind and elaborates. "Your shoes." He hisses, like Thorin was about to commit the most grievous of crimes upon the hobbit home.

The boys, much to Nori and Gandalf's amusement, quickly devest their uncle of his cloak, shoes, and weapons mumbling incomprehensible and contradictory theories behind the strange customs of Hobbits that carried from it being like beards to it being like Oin's mysterious portents, bringing the evils of the world inside. Nori does not correct them of any of these nonsensical guesses, and soon the boys are carrying their prizes to the mud room leaving Thorin sitting on the bench by the door looking a little befuddled himself.

Nori had never personally seen Thorin flummoxed by the boys’ behavior before, but had been their victim twice himself and was cheered to see that even the King employed the ‘just go with it’ tactic for dealing with them.

Bilbo had set Thorin's meal up in the main dining area while everyone else was breaking down the patio and storing items back in Bilbo's cellar. Afterwards they would meet in the sitting room, Bilbo informed Thorin as he filled a glass of wine, the ale long since gone and no one had thought to set aside any for their king. Apparently even with all their preparations Bilbo and Nori had not quite reached Dwarven limits for alcohol.

The meal was a bit of everything Nori had managed to save, he had done better on other attempts, making Thorin's plate first and placing it aside, but it had all ended up a soggy mess or cold. This time he had tasked Bombur with fixing a meal for his King and had only remembered to remind the chef when he saw the dwarf beating him to the last of the roast potatoes. Disguising his irritation at losing out on his favorite dish by asking "is that for the king?" in his most pointed tone.

After which is was a bit of a battle to scoop out the remains of the buffet, mostly the vegetable dishes, but there was enough of Bilbo's lovely ribs, fare that dwarves had given queer looks at until after all the heartier meat had been demolished and they had discovered how tender and lovely the miniscule bits of meat were. The boys had also been kind enough to save their uncle a single slice of the apple pie they had squirreled away at their end of the table and were eating from the tin like bandits.

Though lacking in comparison to the feast laid out hours earlier it was still better than anything they had available in Ered Luin or any of the taverns as they traveled and Thorin, for once in all the previous lives Nori had lived, offered no complaint.

Nori sits across from Thorin as he eats, listening to the others store the supplies per Bilbo's instructions.

Thorin, to Nori's relief, was not noticeably surprised to find him here, or at least he hid it well in the face of his nephews’ antics. He would understand, of course, if everyone just assumed he had abandoned them, but the fact Thorin did not question him of his whereabout or preparations eased a strain inside him he never realized was there.

Thorin alone, of all the people he knew, trusted his judgment.

As Thorin is eating he starts asking Nori questions about the hobbit, just fully accepting that Nori's casual attire is because he went native to investigate. Which Nori is not going to correct because "I needed a vacation" doesn't sound as badass as being 5 steps ahead of everyone.

So he starts giving Thorin the rundown of his future husband.

Bilbo is the head of his family, which is similar to being head of a dwarven Guild. He owns several successful farms, including a wine vineyard, and many small homes, his tenants are well cared for and happy with him. He is hard working, intelligent, and generous. He is related to three main hobbit clans through his parents and grandparents, with farther reaching extended family into near every other clan. He has friendly ties with the elves of Rivendell and the Rangers, and employees what Dwarves would consider a lower class hobbit family to tend his home and garden, two chores Hobbits find as easy as breathing.

Thorin remarks that it doesn’t seem unusual to pay for housekeeping with such a large home. Nori agrees that the help of the Gamgees frees Bilbo up for more scholarly exploits, but that if he had a family the burden would be shared, which is the only reason his employ of them is not questioned by hobbit culture.

It would be, Nori explains, as if Thorin paid someone to sharpen his personal weapons for him.

Thorin humms, setting to work on the ribs, which he had avoided as the other dwarves had in favor of the seasoned sausages. The look of surprise and pleasure on his face when the soft meat gave easily under his teeth put a grin on Nori's face. He couldn't help but think of Bilbo, the Bilbo of the future who had lost his heart to the king, sitting here watching his love lose himself to the simple joy of food.

Cooking was, after all, part of hobbit courtship.

Bilbo had never gotten to cook for them before, not the way Hobbits should. Raiding the pantry and stirring soup on the road didn't count, but cooking for them personally, thinking of them as he crafted each dish. Nori ached for the loss of that simple pleasure, yet another wound they had left on their burglar's heart.

"Why," Thorin continued, wiping his mouth with the silly napkin provided, "would this hobbit lord agree to come?"

Nori considered correcting the title but thought better of it; it was not too far off, and indeed if Hobbits ascribed to such things Bilbo could be considered a lord. He could only answer honestly, knowing that Bilbo's character would be constantly questioned otherwise.

"Because we asked." He stated plainly, and Thorin's brows rose. "To Hobbits the home is sacred, inseparable from life and the quality of it. The loss of a home is... blasphemy to a hobbit. Even tenants have communal housing should they be evicted from the homes on another's land. This home," Nori knocked on the table. "Has many rooms, it's considered a multi-family home. Not as large as a clan home, but not by any means suitable for a single hobbit, even a family head."

Nori inclines his head towards the kitchen, where the dwarves’ drunken laughter echoes. "It's not something I can explain with our own customs, Hobbits simply place high worth on home, and this particular hobbit is... offended on our behalf. He'll help, because he is the type of person who helps."

Thorin considers his words, brooding into his wine glass. The meal, or the parts to dwarven tastes, has been finished. Nori wouldn't dare bully his king into trying the carrots or squash, but he thinks Thorin could have at least eaten the coveted roast potatoes.

"And what help will that be, I wonder?" Thorin asks. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

Nori can't help it, he rolls his eyes.

Thorin must have dubbed his hobbit a grocer as he was wandering lost in the Shire. It is the only explanation that the King addresses Bilbo as such EVERY TIME.

“And what,” Nori asks, “do I look like?” Nori knows exactly what he looks like, hair down, in soft clothes and barefoot, he's honestly surprised his brother hasn't dragged him by his beard into a room to get properly dressed. He looks like a street whore.

His only saving grace is that he is in Bilbo's home, who is dressed equally as comfortably. That Bilbo had been allowed to walk around Erebor without proper layers was a miracle Nori could only pin on their distracted minds and the lack of any other dwarves to draw attention.

They had all been used to the light clothes he wore by then, and they had all also been stripped to their knickers in the dungeons. Bilbo's blouse and waistcoat would have looked entirely proper in comparison.

Thorin had the good graces to keep his opinion on Nori's appearance to himself, instead downing the last of his wine and standing. Not even touching the pie stolen from his nephews, the utter monster.

"Very well," his king accepted "we shall see how he fares. But I will not place the success of this journey on his shoulders, you are still my first choice in thief." He clapped Nori's shoulder, and as it had all those lives ago the words warmed his heart. "I would that no outsiders accompany us, but as it happens, we must take what help we receive."

"What do you mean by that?" Dwalin was suddenly in the doorframe, and they both started at his voice. "Did you not meet with the envoys?"

"I think," Nori interrupted standing to collect the dishes, "that we should continue this discussion in the smoke room." He left the two to follow him, spooning the potatoes into his mouth while they distracted themselves arguing quietly behind.

He did, however, have the compassion to drop the pie off with the boys when he handed off the dishes in the kitchen, informing them that Thorn would begin their meeting soon.


	2. Stolen moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment of rest and conversation makes a world of difference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A prompt I received for my birthday asked for time-travel so naturally i returned to this.
> 
> Nori decided to reveal his little problems to Bilbo while the others went scavenging in the Troll hoard (Bilbo demanded to know how Nori knew everything that was going to happen with the trolls) and they haven’t had much time to really let it settle but honestly they are in an Elvish palace with a Wizard and three trolls were turned to stone by sunlight, time-travel isn't so difficult to believe.
> 
> At this point Bilbo and Nori have had many nights to become close, which is making a certain Guard Captain suspicious, not jealous in the slightest mind, only reasonably suspicious when a known thief and unknown hobbit are being chummy.

“So um, was it like this?” Bilbo asked, when they had a quiet moment away from the others who would all rather sleep on cold stone around a fire made from the very lovely furniture they had been provided with than said furniture. “The, ah, the last time around?”

Nori took a deep breath of the shire tobacco and handed the pipe over, nodding. “Well, the first time at least. Sometimes we don’t get past the trolls, and if we do we may not head to Rivendell.”

“An-and how did you manage that?” Bilbo took a puff himself and handed it back. It was a lovely evening, among the flowers and the fireflies, and the two of them were both quite content to wash away the grime and troll and settle in a little thicket that had once very obviously been used by elvish children to escape their lessons. “Gandalf said that there’s only one person who can read the map?”

“Ah,” and Nori blew a somewhat sloppy smoke ring that had Bilbo sending a train of little loops through, “but these are ancient DWARVISH runes, moon runes, invented by a particularly paranoid king, and I,” he swept the pipe out to indicate his own wonderful self, “am a dwarf of particularly unscrupulous skills and a habit of disappearing for great lengths of time to avoid the consequences of said skills.” He and Bilbo shared a nice chuckle. “Who’s to say I didn’t pop off to parts unknown that happened to possess a library unknown with an unknown language of unknown origin that I unknowingly might have decided to utilize in making sure my completely lawful and unquestionably legitimate business ventures are…” he raised his excellently braided eyebrows in emphasis “unknown?”

Bilbo laughed, and Nori was quite pleased with that. He’d spent more than half the nights filling the silences their hobbit’s social gaffs had caused in the awkward crossing of cultural boundaries. Though the rest of the company had accepted Bilbo as an adopted member of the Ri family they had taken to assuming he would be expected to conform to Dwarrow standards, and while it was true that Dori and Ori had pressed the most immediately concerning manners and customs upon the poor creature Nori had never been subtle about pulling Bilbo away to sit just be hobbits. Though Nori made a much better hobbit than Bilbo did a Dwarf at this point he had faith they’d balance out yet.

He had worried, with as much of his brain he could spare to worry being chased by wargs and all, how admitting his little time traveling adventures to Bilbo would play out. Of course Bilbo couldn’t dismiss him outright, not with him predicting the events with the trolls, but he hadn’t been shown to hold much of any sturdy character until after they’d escaped the Goblin tunnels, and since he’d always convinced the hobbit to stay home in his past attempts he’d never gotten the chance to study how the weeks on the road and the trolls had honed him.

As far as Nori remembered he’d been a timid, easily frightened, and easily broken halfling with only the slightest more sense than the rest of them and certainly not burglar material, then suddenly he was wildly swinging his little poker and carrying his weight in the mad dash to the skin changer’s house and stealing them all out of spider nests and elvish prisons.

He’d had an image of Bilbo bisected into two very clear and very different people, Bilbo before the Misty Mountains and Bilbo after the Misty Mountains. He’d never been able to fully see where exactly they met.

Now he did, and was very irritated in himself for never realizing it. Always seeing the past Bilbo as soft and vulnerable, that pudgy little rabbit who fainted at the very mention of a dragon, when the real Bilbo had always been there, simply covered by their own perceptions of him.

“So then, what’s next?”

Nori leaned back and tucked his hands behind his head, gazing up at the still not quite suitable moon. “Next we get the very serious Elf Lord to read our map, and of course Balin will be against it but Balin will also be the one to spill all our secrets in his excitement and tip off old pointy ear about our plans. He’ll call his very old and very wise council of busybodies who will try to stop us like they have any right and Gandalf will distract them just long enough for us to sneak out.”

“Ah,” Bilbo propped his elbow on a knee and his chin in his hand. “He will be back though, won’t he? Gandalf that is, he’ll meet up with us?”

“Oh sure, but not at the meeting point. Thorin will insist we push on, sore as he is about the wizard consorting with elves and gossiping with their council.” Bilbo tried to smother his giggles but Nori pursed his lips and scowled in a comical imitation of Thorin’s brooding glower that the hobbit had to bite his knuckles to keep hushed. “Then we’ll all fall down a big hole and be captured by goblins, ‘cept you of course who escaped and followed behind us, never did figure out how as you wouldn’t tell me, and Gandalf saves us.”

“Well, I suppose we should enjoy the peace while it lasts then,” Bilbo smiled and fell back to lay beside him. “Since there won’t be much of it ahead I’m sure.”

“Certainly, and the other’s definitely won’t be in high spirits either,” he jutted his chin over to the very obvious discord in the harmony of the night music. Not that Nori had any taste for Elvish music anyway. “But remember something for me,” he turned and looked Bilbo in the eye.

“Yes?” they were large eyes too, very expressive, and easily wounded.

“If, in their irritation, the others say something… untoward to you.. you won’t take it to heart. We Dwarrow are a hardy folk, outside and in, and while we perceive insults in damn near everything we also respond with insults to damn near everything. We throw hard words like we throw punches.”

“Or food.” Bilbo added.

“Or food,” Nori smirked, “or knives, or stones, or particularly fancy crockery.” And there was that laugh again. “But no matter what anyone says, you’re one of us.” He reached out and clasped Bilbo on the shoulder, and if the hobbit’s eyes were a little shiny and moist in the low light he didn’t comment, “you belong with us, and I… I don’t know if I can keep going without you.”

“Don’t you worry.” Bilbo’s voice was quaky, but he didn’t stutter once and he lay his own hand over the one gripping his shoulder. Squeezed. “I said I would help you, and not just with the dragon,” he tilted his head and raised his brows in emphasis. “Nothing anyone can say will stop me.”

“Good.” Nori pulled him close, until their foreheads touched, and just breathed. “Good.” He felt like that first moment he saw Bilbo sitting on that bench with his pipe all those weeks ago, like the pain and the trauma and the stress of all his failed lives had just melted away.

“Yes, now,” Bilbo rolled back and watched the stars, voice a far more humorous quality, “tell me what’s all this between you and Dwalin.”

 

 


End file.
